The Winnipeg Jets earned their first Presidents’ Trophy in franchise history on Sunday.
Although Winnipeg lost 4-1 to the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday, the Washington Capitals lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets, meaning they can’t catch the Jets.
The Jets led the Western Conference since Jan. 14, dominating the regular season with a 55-22-4 record with one more game remaining. Although Winnipeg and Washington raced for the top spot for most of the season, the Jets separated themselves.
That means the Jets are the first Canadian team to win the Presidents' Trophy in 13 years.
The Vancouver Canucks were the last Canadian team to finish on top of the NHL, accomplishing the feat in 2012. They also won the Presidents’ Trophy in 2011, when they lost in the Stanley Cup final to the Boston Bruins.
Since the award was introduced in 1986, a Canadian team has won the Presidents’ Trophy only eight times. Winnipeg is the fifth Canadian club to win it, with three Canadian franchises winning multiple times. Before the Canucks won, the Ottawa Senators clinched the trophy in 2003.
The Oilers were the first team to capture the Presidents' Trophy, taking it home in 1986 and 1987. After that, the Calgary Flames were the best team in the regular season in 1988 and 1989. The Oilers followed their Presidents’ Trophy win in 1987 with the Stanley Cup championship, while the Flames did the same in ’89.
However, winning the Presidents' Trophy does not often lead to Stanley Cup success. The last team to be the champion of the regular season and playoffs were the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2012-13 season.
In recent years, it has been more likely for teams to win the Stanley Cup one or two seasons after winning the Presidents' Trophy.
The Florida Panthers, Colorado Avalanche, Tampa Bay Lightning and Capitals are all recent examples of this. Florida won the Presidents’ Trophy in 2022 and the Cup in 2024. The Avalanche won the Cup in 2022, one year after being regular-season champs, while the Lightning captured back-to-back Cups in 2020 and 2021 after finishing first in the 2019 regular season. The Capitals won the Presidents’ Trophy in 2016 and 2017 before winning the Stanley Cup in 2018.
The Jets, meanwhile, haven’t had plenty of playoff success lately. In their last two playoff campaigns, they lost in the first round in five games. They hope things will be different this year with a Presidents' Trophy under their belt.
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